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A senior Microsoft executive says it will build some of its forthcoming retail stores near those of rival Apple. He also says Apple complained about the recent "Laptop Hunters" campaign, which he feels validates the ads' success. Microsoft announced ... plans to open retail stores back in February, hiring former Wal-Mart executive David Porter to oversee the project. At the time it appeared the firm wanted to take advantage of cheap retail unit rentals thanks to the recession. However, Microsoft's decision to build these stores, and to build them near rival Apple's outlets, might be ... (view more)

Apple has formally applied to launch the iPhone in China. The move, earlier than expected, appears to have been made possible once the firm agreed to drop WiFi capability. There are both political and technical reasons for WiFi issues in China. ... Until April this year, the government refused to allow any WiFi handsets. Officially that was because of fears users would add Internet phone services such as Skype and use those to make calls, to the detriment of China's phone companies. Unofficially it was thought the government believed WiFi would make it harder to monitor communications. Censorship ... (view more)

The first man to "jailbreak" the original iPhone has done so again with the new 3GS model. Jailbreaking means users who install a piece of unauthorized software are then able to run any applications they like, not just those from the official App ... Store. George Hotz cracked the security system on the 3GS in just two weeks, releasing a Windows version of his jailbreaking tool, dubbed purp1erain, on Friday. Yesterday afternoon he released a Mac edition of the same tool. According to Hotz, his work was relatively easy. He took advantage of a security loophole discovered in the last new ... (view more)

Apple fans will be encouraged to hear that the company's iconic CEO Steve Jobs has returned from medical leave. Jobs had been away for several months due to what Apple has described as a "hormone imbalance". News of Jobs' recent health issues ... emerged back in January , when several reports suggested the dynamic Apple co-founder was suffering from an undisclosed but perhaps serious medical problem. Some insiders even worried that Jobs, who most can tell has lost a significant amount of weight, could have been experiencing the return of pancreatic cancer, which sidelined him several ... (view more)

Apple is celebrating after the latest incarnation of the iPhone sold a million units in its first weekend. However, the firm has issued compensation to some customers who were unable to fully activate their handsets. The sales figures of the 3G S ... are keeping pace with the 3G, which came out last August. That's an impressive number, given that many consumers are cutting back on spending this year and that there are no revolutionary changes to the new model other than an improvement in speed. Pre Sales Figures May be Inflated It's worth remembering that Apple's counting methods are considered ... (view more)

In a recent study Microsoft surpassed Apple in value perception scores, meaning those participating felt they got more value when purchasing a Windows PC. The study, launched by advertising trackers BrandIndex, included some 5,000 people and lasted ... several months. Research began right around the same time Microsoft revved up its popular and controversial ad campaign dubbed "Laptop Hunters," which follows real consumers challenged by the Redmond firm to find the cheapest laptop with a specific set of features. Most of the time they settle on PCs for about $500 to $1,000, making premium Apple ... (view more)

According to popular blog TechCrunch, Apple is in the process of finalizing a sales pitch for Twitter that would see them acquire the microblogging platform for an estimated $700 million. The report comes off the heels of a different rumor ... suggesting that Apple is also in the process of securing the popular computer-game maker Electronic Arts. Rising Popularity to Explain Apple's Interest Oprah and Ashton Kutcher are not the only ones using Twitter. The social networking haven has attracted new users by the hundreds each day since its inception back in 2006. While Apple declined to comment on ... (view more)

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating a pair of Google board members who fulfill similar roles with tech giant Apple. Such a set-up would be illegal if it in any way affects competition between the two companies. The investigation ... involves Google chief Eric Schmidt and fellow board member Arthur Levinson. Neither company, nor the FTC, have commented on the story, which recently broke through the New York Times. (Source: nytimes.com ) The FTC is reportedly looking into potential breaches of the 1914 Clayton Antitrust Act which bans people from sitting on the board of two ... (view more)

One of Microsoft's senior executives has fled his post as director of the company's European Xbox operations. Richard Teversham is headed for Apple's business on that continent, ending a decade-and-a-half of service at Microsoft. It's not yet ... confirmed what Teversham will be doing with Apple across the pond, but given the iPhone and iPod Touch's continuing involvement in gaming -- and the promise these games have to eventually challenge the likes of Sony's PSP and even Nintendo's DS -- it's a fairly safe bet that he'll play a significant role in improving interactive entertainment on the ... (view more)

According to reports, Apple is planning to cut its laptop, the MacBook, by around $100-$150. It's as much a response to the competition from netbooks as to the recession. The main source of the rumors is the usually reliable Appleinsider.com site. ... It says Apple's plans to develop a tablet computer -- perhaps like a much larger iPod Touch -- will wind up taking longer than expected. (Source: appleinsider.com ) That's a blow to plans that the tablet will stop users defecting to netbooks, the increasingly popular slimmed-down laptops which offer basic functionality, notably web surfing, at a ... (view more)